Bidirectional printing method and apparatus with reduced color unevenness

A printing apparatus for forming a color image by application of different color inks to a printing material while bi-directionally moving a recording head to scan the printing material, said apparatus comprising:

• control means for effecting recording bv application of the ink for each pixel area, said control means applying different color inks to a pixel area representing a process color and controlling an amount of the ink applied by a unit application in accordance with multi-level data corresponding to the pixel area;
• changing means for changing an order of applications of inks of different colors to be applied at least at one amount to form a process color in a process color pixel area;
• and
• forming means for forming the process color by making an order of applications of the inks to at least one of the process color pixel areas arranged in a raster direction different from the order of another, by said changing means.

A printing apparatus for forming a color image by effecting scanning bi-directional movement of a recording head having recording elements corresponding to different color inks arranged symmetrically in a scanning direction and applying the color inks at different amounts, said apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of print buffers corresponding to the symmetrically arranged recording elements;
• distributing means for distributing print data for a color to be printed to at least one of the print buffers on the basis of an image signal corresponding to the color image;
• and
• control means for effecting printing by actuating the recording elements corresponding to respective print buffers in accordance with print data stored in respective print buffers.

A print having a color image provided by different color inks and applied in the form of different amounts of droplets, comprising:

• a printing material;
• and
• a plurality of secondary color pixel areas arranged in a predetermined direction on the printing material,
• wherein the plurality of pixel areas are printed by different color inks at least at one amount, and wherein an order of applications of the inks to at least one of the pixel areas is different from the order of another.